Eric Minoff
Vice President, Head of Department - US
LOT 20 ¤
1917 Cole 863 Tourcoupe Coachwork by Springfield Body Co. Chassis no. 43751 Engine no. 028520
Sold for US$39,200 inc. premiumLot to be sold without reserve
Lot 20¤
1917 Cole 863 Tourcoupe
1917 Cole 863 Tourcoupe
Coachwork by Springfield Body Co.
Chassis no. 43751
Engine no. 028520
Coachwork by Springfield Body Co.
Chassis no. 43751
Engine no. 028520
346.4ci L-Head V-8
Single Zenith carburetor
70bhp
Three-Speed Manual Transmission
Live Axles with Semi-Elliptical Leaf Springs
Rear Wheel Mechanical Drum Brakes
* Early application of a V8—in this case producing 70 horsepower
* Stylish and practical Permanent Roof Convertible body
* Part of Harrah's and National Automobile Museum collections since 1970
* A rare and adaptable classic for touring and weekends
THE COLE V-8
This 1917 Cole 863 Tourcoupe was acquired by the Harrah's Automobile Collection in 1970 from Bernard Boucher of Montcalm, Quebec. The Tourcoupe coachwork was a proprietary design created by the Springfield Body Co. of Springfield, Massachusetts, a style which the coachbuilder called a Permanent Roof Convertible. The company had been in business for many years and established itself as a leader in making bodies from sheet metal. The Springfield Permanent Roof Convertible was used by several auto manufacturers including Auburn, Cadillac, Locomobile, Maxwell, Peerless, Pierce-Arrow and Stevens-Duryea in addition to Cole. In 1915 a second coachworks were started in Detroit which quickly surpassed the original works in Springfield.
For Springfield, however, "convertible" did not mean what it later came to be. For Springfield a "convertible" was a fixed roof car readily changed from a sedan to a limousine for expensive chassis. However, light and airy remained essential traits of the design.
THE CAR OFFERED
This Cole Tourcoupe is finished in black with grey coach cloth fabric upholstery and interior trim. The 34x4½ wheels have varnished wooden spokes. It is fitted with a Waltham clock, Delco electric panel, a Circlite through-windshield spotlight, Bausch & Lomb headlights, tinted windshield visor, compression whistle, dual rear-mounted spares and a luggage fence on the right running board. The rear side windows lift off and store on a tray behind the rear seat while the front windows slide down on pull straps into pockets in the doors. The Northway-built V-8 engine has a Zenith downdraft carburetor.
The Cole 863 Tourcoupe was priced at $2,295 in 1917 (about equal to the average annual income in the U.S. that year). Cole built 4,193 cars in the teeth of the 1917 recession, only 1,380 in 1918 and later was voluntarily liquidated by Joseph Cole in 1925. The Tourcoupe is an ideal car today for tours and weekend jaunts where its 70 horsepower and advertised 60mph speed combine with the adaptable, comfortable Springfield Permanent Roof Convertible body to be both striking in its appearance and accommodating to its occupants' comfort.
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| ¤ | No Reserve |
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